Abiotic stress factors such as drought, salinity, and heat represent key elements limiting agricultural productivity worldwide. Close examination of plant-to-plant communication in nature has revealed the development of unique strategies from plants for responding to abiotic stress, with one of the most interesting being through priming for improved defense responses. The process of priming involves prior exposure to a biotic or abiotic stress factor making a plant more resistant to future exposure. Priming can also be achieved by applying natural or synthetic compounds which act as signaling transducers, ‘activating’ the plant's defense system. Although the phenomenon has been known for many years, it has only recently been suggested that priming can enhance the resistance of crops to environmental stresses in the field.
There is a need for new priming agents that work better to prepare plants for exposure to abiotic stress factors.
There is also a need for new cost-effective means of promoting plant growth from the time of seeding throughout the maturity of a plant.